The Memories of Damon
by taekwongirl360
Summary: Elena is kidnapped by a vampire with a mysterious book-a book of Damon's memories. Some memories are painful to watch. As Elena watches these memories, Elena's feelings may change for Damon and she may or may not understand him more...
1. Chapter 1

_**New Story. It's something that I've wanted to write for awhile and today I finally got some inspiration! The plot of this is that Elena is kidnapped by an ancient vampire and is shown memories of Damon's past-some good and some bad. The ultimate goal is for her to understand him more-meaning she'll realize what has happened to this poor vampire to shape him to who he is today. **_

_**I've always wanted Vampire Diaries to do a Damon flashback episode focusing all on Damon's past. I don't think they'll do one like that, but still one can dream.**_

_**Enjoy and review!**_

_**Warnings: strong angst, some language, some romance later on.**_

**The Memories of Damon**

**Chapter 1-The Book**

Elena's head ached as she opened her eyes. Her body could barely move by itself. The last time she had felt this bad was when Rose slapped her across the face.

Looking around, she guessed she was in some dark apartment complex from the looks of her surroundings.

'Strange…' she thought to herself. The last thing she remembered was sitting in Stefan's bedroom during her 18th birthday party and then a hand clapping over her mouth. After that she apparently blacked out.

She missed Stefan terribly, especially now that he was back on human blood again and Klaus's little minion. She didn't feel like celebrating but Caroline had insisted on throwing her a party. Basically Elena had no choice but to attend.

"I'm sorry I had to knock you out like that. I couldn't very well have you screaming your head off now, could I?" a voice spoke causing Elena to jump up in fright.

Turning around, she saw a pretty girl with blonde curly hair and blue eyes staring back at her. She was dressed modernly wearing dark blue jeans, black boots, a white low-cut t-shirt and a kaki jacket.

"Who…who are you?" Elena gasped, staring at the strange girl in front of her. The girl smiled at her in a friendly way.

"My name is Ashley. I am a 600-year-old vampire. I mean you no harm, I assure you."

Elena was inclined not to believe her at first but she was right. If this strange woman hadn't hurt her by now then she wasn't going to any time soon.

"Ok, so why am I here? Why did you kidnap me? My friends will be looking for me shortly," Elena was trying to reason with this girl. Damon would surely realize she was missing soon and go to hell and back to find her.

"I have your phone. I texted him telling him you wanted to be alone for awhile."

"You WHAT?" screeched Elena in disbelief. "What is it you want from me? If you're going to kill me then do it quickly-"

"I am not here to hurt you. I am here to enlighten you," Ashley smiled at her warmly.

Puzzled, Elena looked around the dark apartment. It didn't have a lot of space but there was a bed along with a refrigerator and a couch.

"What are your feelings regarding Damon Salvatore?" Ashley's question broke Elena's inquiry of the underground house.

"That's what you want to ask me? You kidnap me then ask me that question? I don't even know you, why do you want me here?" Elena was getting angrier by the second.

Before she could continue, Ashley held up what looked like a very old book. She put it on the counter and slid it down to Elena's side.

"What the hell is that?" Elena asked, looking at ancient book in front of her. On the top cover in bold letters was the word Salvatore.

Ashley was silent for a moment. "I know that you have a love/hate relationship with Damon right now. I know that he's done some horrible things to you like kill Jeremy right in front of you and forcing his blood down your throat.

Elena let out a gasp. How did this girl know all of this?

"I've been around a long time Elena. It's amazing how I get my information. But enough about that. There are some things in here that might make a small difference in the way you feel about Mr. Damon Joseph Salvatore."

Shock took over Elena's body. This was totally not what she was expecting.

"What does that even mean? This book contains-"

"Memories from Damon's past," Ashley spoke gently. An aura of sorrow was around the ancient vampire now. "Both good and bad."

"And why do you want me to look at these?" Elena's curiosity grew more by every passing minute.

"When you see Damon's past maybe you will understand him more. I'm not saying you'll forgive him for everything he's done to you and your family; but I am saying you may have a change of heart once you see these," Ashley was staring intently at Elena right now, silently asking what her answer was.

Elena walked over to the bed and sat down upon it. This was a lot to absorb. In all the months she had known Damon, he had never talked about his past except to tell her how Stefan made him become a vampire; and that was one of the reasons he hated Stefan. But other than that…nothing. She knew more than anybody that Damon would never tell her about any of the things the book would show her.

Yet another part of Elena's conscience was afraid to find out. Ashley had warned her that some of the memories wouldn't be very pretty to watch. That alone was scary. She didn't know if she could even face Damon after she watched all of these.

"And…you…can show me all of these memories? You have the power to do that?"

"Yes," was Ashley's response. "If you can handle the responsibility of looking at these with an open mind, that is."

Elena stared at the wall in front of her. Then she turned back to Ashley. Standing up and walking towards the book, she stared down at the object that would tell her everything she wanted to know, and didn't want to know, about Damon Salvatore.

"Okay…what's the first memory?"

Ashley smiled at her. Elena felt dizzy for a second then she felt like she was flying…

_**Well, what do you think? Review! The more reviews I get, the sooner I'll update : ) Also, if you have ideas for some possible Damon memories just PM me.**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2-The First Memory**

_**There was a little boy running and laughing in the field. He had on cute little trousers and a little white shirt. He was giggling incessantly as he ran from somebody.**_

"_**Mama! Mama, catch me!" he shouted in a high squeaky voice. There were dark black curls on top of the boy's head as well as bright sapphire blue eyes.**_

_**A woman came around the corner. She had long wavy black hair and Damon's eyes. Her gown was a gorgeous dark blue. The gown was a size too large for her because this beautiful woman had a pregnancy bump.**_

_**The woman laughed when she saw her little boy.**_

"_**Damon…slow down sweetheart…I can't run very fast now!" she laughed as he ran up to her this time. She immediately picked him up and hugged him to her.**_

"_**I love you so much Damon. Never forget that," she pulled him back to smile at him and he gave her a toothy grin back. Still holding him, the two of them headed back to the house.**_

_**Later**_

_**Little Damon ran down the steps and into his father's study. He carefully looked around to make sure his father wasn't around. Stepping inside, he walked over to the bookshelf and tried to find his favorite book with a bunch of stories for his mom to read to him before bedtime. **_

_**He spotted a small stepladder in the corner. With his little arms he tried picking it up but it was way too heavy for him. The ladder fell right out of his hands and hit his father's liquor cabinet, breaking the glass of the door as well as many bottles of expensive liquor.**_

_**Damon trembled in fright. It was increased when he heard heavy footsteps running down the hall and opening the door.**_

_**Giuseppe Salvatore was looking at Damon then at the wreckage he caused.**_

"_**WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO, BOY?" His roar echoed throughout the whole house.**_

"_**I'm sorry Papa…I won't do it again!" little Damon cried out in fear.**_

"_**DAMN RIGHT YOU WON'T!" his father shouted before picking his little four-year-old son off the floor and hurling him toward his desk. The small boy's fragile head hit the corner of it, causing his head to hurt terribly and blood to gush out. Damon tried to get up but it was a losing battle.**_

"_**You're a disgrace to this family!" Giuseppe shouted his anger before slapping Damon right across the face, causing him to fall straight to the floor.**_

_**Damon started crying hysterically.**_

_**Giuseppe just looked at him in disgust and left his own son wailing in pain on the floor. **_

_**It didn't take long for his mother to find him. **_

"_**Oh my goodness! Damon, sweetheart, what happened?" she cried, leaning over him and gently picking him up and putting him in her lap as much as she could with her growing bump.**_

"_**Daddy…daddy hit…me," he whimpered through his tears. His face was tear-streaked and there was a bump on his head where he hit it as well as dried blood. **_

_**Mother Salvatore was speechless for a moment before she picked Damon up off the floor and held him close. She kissed his cut forehead to make it better. Somehow, mothers have that gift where any wound is cured with a simple kiss and mother's love.**_

"_**Don't worry darling, father has his moments…how about I take you upstairs for your bath and I'll help you with your head? Then I'll read you a bedtime story?"**_

_**Little Damon sniffled and nodded. His mother always had a comforting effect on him. She picked him up and led him out of his damned father's study. All the way up the stairs, Damon tried to figure out why his daddy hated him so much…**_

_End of Flashback_

Elena was speechless after she saw this memory. She couldn't believe how small and helpless Damon had been when he was younger, not to mention extremely adorable. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears at the horrible memory of Damon's father hurting him in such a brutal way…and when he was so young.

"You ok Elena? You're awfully quiet." Ashley commented as she handed Elena a cup of hot coffee.

"Yeah I'm fine but…how horrible to be so hated by your father like that. And for what reason did Giuseppe have to hit Damon? It was an accident!" Elena cried in fury.

"Giuseppe hated Damon since he was born for reasons unknown. Not even Damon knows why," Ashley said sadly before getting up and returning to the kitchen, leaving Elena alone with her thoughts for a minute.

Elena stared at the book with anger and resentment. Then she thought of Damon himself…Damon never even mentioned his father and now she had an idea as to why. Stefan never even told her all of this!

"What happened to Damon and Stefan's mother? He seemed to be really close to her."

Ashley returned to the bed where Elena was sitting.

"Well, that's the next memory…" and Elena felt herself flying again into a memory she really didn't want to see…


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3-Consequences of a Mother's Love**

_Flashback_

_**Eight-year-old Damon's forehead glistened with sweat as he shivered in his bed. He had caught the ever so popular typhus disease and been bedridden for the past week.**_

_**His throat was extremely sore due to coughing so much and his entire body ached in pain. His fever was causing him to be extremely delirious; if it continued to rise, he would die.**_

_**However, Elizabeth Salvatore had never left her son's side, not even a full minute. She stayed in a chair right next to her son's bed, making sure he received the best care in town. She also had the servants make him soup, send up cold water and a washcloth to put on his forehead and clean sheets. **_

_**Coughing again Damon clutched his mother's hand tighter. "Mama…it hurts…so much…"**_

"_**I know, sweetheart, I know. I'm here; you're going to be fine. Just fight through the pain," Elizabeth cooed softly. Damon seemed comforted by the sound of her voice.**_

_**Giuseppe scoffed at all the fuss Damon was making. He wanted Elizabeth to attend to their other son Stefan but she still refused to leave Damon's side. It was getting ridiculous.**_

"_**Honestly Elizabeth, why do you want Damon to get better? We have another perfectly healthy son in the next room and you haven't seen him in days!" he scolded his wife. Elizabeth wouldn't even look at him.**_

"_**Damon needs me now more than ever. Can't you see that he's very sick? How can you treat your own son like he was nothing?" she scolded her husband.**_

_**Giuseppe didn't reply. He just huffed in annoyance and left the room in a hurry.**_

"_**Good riddance," she muttered before looking at Damon again. A doctor had been to see him yesterday and told her his condition was dangerous but there was still a chance he could recover. She was praying with every fiber of her being for that chance to happen so her son may live.**_

_**Over the next week, his condition improved immensely. His fever went away and his aches and pains as well. His throat was still sore from the coughing but other than that, he was fully recovered by the end of the week.**_

_A few weeks later_

_**Typhus was indeed contagious, for Elizabeth got it a month after Damon got well. Her predicament was not so fortunate…**_

_**She was bedridden with a fever exceeding 106 degrees. Delusions and hallucinations plagued her mind and she was sweating up a storm. Giuseppe barely said anything to her but made sure she was under all day and all night doctor supervision. Something about his composure didn't sit too well with Elizabeth but she didn't dare voice it.**_

_**One day she woke up feeling very hot and her head was spinning out of control. Something told her that she was going to pass on to the next life today…**_

_**Damon peeked his head in her room. "Mother, may I come in?" he asked her politely.**_

_**Struggling to sit up, she attempted a smile at Damon. "Of course you may, darling."**_

_**Damon ran in and climbed onto the bed next to his mother. "Mama, are you sick?" he asked her.**_

_**She did nothing but give him a sad expression. "It's nothing, love. I'll be fine. Did you need something?"**_

_**Damon smiled innocently at her and pulled out a picture. When she looked into the frame, it was a portrait of her and little Damon standing next to her, smiling.**_

"_**It's wonderful, darling. I absolutely love it," her voice came to a whisper toward the end.**_

_**She smiled and reached for the necklace around her neck. It was a rose pendant with sapphires in the middle-the color of Damon's eyes matched it perfectly. Taking it off and handing it to him, she spoke gently.**_

"_**I want you to have this, Damon. Never show it to anyone and keep it as a reminder that I will always love you…"**_

_**Damon took the precious object from her hand. He studied it carefully then looked back at her.**_

"_**Mother, I can't possibly-"**_

_**Elizabeth started coughing in heaves at that moment. It became almost impossible to breathe and as she leaned over the side, she saw blood coming out.**_

_**Damon was horrified at the sight. "Mama! What's wrong?"**_

_**Just then, the door burst open and the doctor threw Damon off the bed. He hit his head against the wall and started crying in pain.**_

"_**Get him out of here! I must attend to the patient!" the doctor ordered one of the maids, who gently picked Damon up and took him to his room. She left him there on the bed. Looking down, he still had his mother's pendant in his hand. Oh well, he would give it back to her tomorrow…**_

…

_**Damon awoke in the middle of the night to hear screaming. His eyes popped open when he heard the words that would change him forever. "She's dead! Elizabeth is dead!" someone shouted in the hallway.**_

_**Immediately he threw the covers back from his bed and ran out into the hallway. He saw servants outside his mother's room with sober looks.**_

"_**What happened to my mother?" he asked, his eyes misting.**_

_**Gloria, one of his mother's most trusted servants and friends, walked up to him and put her hand on his shoulder.**_

"_**She passed away half an hour ago Damon. She's dead."**_

_**Damon just stood there in shock. Then he fell to the floor as his agony tore him from the inside; tears began to fall from his eyes. **_

"_**NO…no it can't be true…please God no!" he cried. Never in his young life had he been so hurt. How could she leave him without saying goodbye? **_

_**The door to his mother's room burst open to reveal his father. He was absolutely furious.**_

"_**Where is the little basterd? WHERE IS DAMON?" he shouted.**_

_**Damon looked up at his father just as Giuseppe grabbed him by the collar and pinned him to the wall. There was no way Damon could escape his father's grasp.**_

"_**You killed her! I hope you're proud of yourself! She died because of you! You had to be sickly and she died for it! Why couldn't it have been you!" and with that, he threw Damon to the ground before storming off, leaving Damon sick with his own tears, sadness, and hurt from his father's words. What had he ever done to make his own father hate him so? It didn't make sense…**_

_**The horror of his mother's death caught up with him. Yes…it was true…he had killed her. If it hadn't been for him being sick she would have lived…Oh God…**_

_**Damon threw up the contents of his stomach then curled up into a ball and let all the tears fall. He couldn't hold back, he wished he was dead.**_

_**One of the maids picked him up and took him to his room again. She shut the door behind him.**_

_**No one checked on him. Damon was left in his own little helpless world, terrified of what was going to happen next. The rose necklace gleamed in the moonlight as a reminder of the woman who gave Damon life who was now lost. The only person in the world who loved Damon Salvatore was now dead…**_

_End of Flashback_

Elena sat on her bed, clutching her hand to her heart in her own grief. Tears were pouring down her own cheeks as the image of little Damon's crying face came up. Poor Damon, to lose someone so close at such a young age…it was almost too much to bear.

Ashley looked at her sympathetically. "I'll go make us some tea. I think we both need it."

Elena was left alone in her thoughts. Sadness was there but also anger at Giuseppe Salvatore for his cruelty. How could he blame Damon? It wasn't his fault! Tears were still pouring down her cheeks when the elder vampire returned with some lavender tea for her to drink.

"Do you want to call it a day or keep going? Maybe one more then we'll call it good?"

Elena took a moment to answer. Then she looked at Ashley. "One more."

Blackness once again…

_**The next one will have Damon's perspective as this is going on. Hope you enjoyed it and remember to review, review, review!**_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 3-First Kiss**

**Damon's POV**

Elena's text was very strange-"Out of town for awhile, will be back soon." None of those words sat well with me.

Something must have happened to her!

As always, I worried about her constantly. It wasn't like her to go wandering off by herself, given her experience with the supernatural elements. And she would know better than to wander off by herself!

God, if something had happened to her, he would never be able to forgive himself.

He had to find her!

**Flashback**

_**Mystic Falls was hardly large and everybody knew everybody in town. The afternoon greetings seemed to chime around everywhere he went. It was absolutely dismal.**_

_**10-year-old Damon was seen walking through town on his way back from school. His father had insisted that he be given a good education, which was all Damon had received from his father since his mother had died. **_

_**His initial grief and fear had replaced itself with anger and hatred for his father. He had come to realize his father had never wanted him and never will accept him.**_

_**At least he had his younger brother who loved him and depended on him to look after him. He had somewhat of a home to go back to everyday at least.**_

_**As he continued to walk down the long path to his house, he heard a noise coming from his right.**_

"_**Damon!...pst, Damon!" **_

_**Looking over, he saw a girl emerge from behind a tree. She had long curly, red hair, freckles, and a long green dress.**_

"_**Lucy? What are you doing here?" He was even surprised he remembered her name, they went to the same school though. He thought she was very pretty but knew he didn't stand a chance with her. None of the girls liked him.**_

"_**I wanted to show you something, follow me!" and before he could respond, she disappeared in the forest.**_

_**Not knowing where he was going but also now wanting her to get lost, he reluctantly followed. **_

_**He followed the sound of her laughter until he reached a large log sitting in the middle of the forest, surrounded by trees. Lucy sat upon the log, smiling at him.**_

_**The little Damon sat down next to Lucy on the log, twiddling his thumbs in nervousness.**_

"_**It's beautiful isn't it?" Lucy asked quietly.**_

"_**What is?" he turned to look at her.**_

"_**The forest…so eternally green, unmovable. It's magical," Lucy practically swooned when she turned around to look at Damon.**_

_**That's when she looked up Damon did the same. The sun shone brightly in the sky and was casting a beautiful glow over the two of them. Without realizing it, he closed his eyes, forgetting about his troubled life for once. He loved the feeling of peace it brought him.**_

_**When he opened his eyes, he saw Lucy staring at him.**_

_**Without warning, she leaned forward and placed a soft, warm kiss on his lips.**_

_**It was a full minute before she pulled back. She smiled when she saw a big grin erupt on Damon's face, making him look like the little devil that he was. His cheeks turned a bright shade of pink.**_

_**He knew he should be freaked out, but he wasn't. His first kiss was a magical one and one he would not soon forget.**_

Elena woke up again for the third time that day.

"It's amazing, isn't it?" Ashley asked her.

Still processing all the memories she had seen, Elena looked up at Ashley with a somewhat vague expression.

"I guess I'm…still processing all of it."

"Not all of his memories are bad, granted they are few and far in-between. He had a horrible childhood but he had a few good moments, I promise. You'll have to ask him about his good memories."

Elena could only nod.

"I wish you could have known what Damon was like when he was a boy, you would have adored him," Ashley gushed smiling.

"Ashley, me not liking Damon has never been the problem."

"Oh really? When you first found out what he was, you hated him for many months. So what happened? What changed your mind?"

"I don't know, I-"

"I think that's enough for one day. We will finish the rest of them tomorrow. Will you be ready for them by then? I have to warn you some of them are harder to watch than the ones I've shown you today." The elder vampire gave her a sympathetic look.

"Yeah, I'll just sleep for a few hours," Elena answered before laying down on the bed.

When she heard Ashley leaving the room, Elena let a few tears escape.

She had never know how Damon's life had been in his past because he never talked about it. And part of her thought that he didn't want to, and she couldn't blame him. She felt so sorry for him but she didn't want to pity him. What kind of emotion was that?

All she could think about before she fell asleep was "Damon…what happened to you? What made you snap and become a monster?"


	5. Chapter 5

_**As requested by Punkmuffin—she really wanted me to update this story, so I hope you enjoy it.**_

_**And as always, review, review, review. Enjoy : )**_

**Chapter 5—The Beginning of Damon's End**

"Are you ready for another day of this?" Ashley asked Elena, who had woken up an hour ago, showered and had breakfast.

Elena nodded. She slept a little the night before, but not by much. She was haunted with images of Damon. Damon's pain in his childhood haunted her. And he never told her any of it! She was closer to him than anybody; and just didn't get it.

"Alright, this is when the rift between the brothers started. You ready?"

Blackness once again engulfed Elena. Then she found herself inside the Salvatore plantation house in what looked to be an office.

_The door opened to reveal Giuseppe walking inside followed by a reluctant 24-year-old Damon. He looked exactly like he looked in the present day, except the curly hair was different._

"_Be seated Damon," his father spoke in a hard tone. She saw Damon roll his eyes before doing so. His father sat opposite him in his large chair._

"_Damon, as I'm sure you're aware, the war is escalating in the south and getting worse and worse," his father began._

"_I'm well aware father," Damon spoke in a hard tone._

"_Well, the south is in need of more soldiers to help with the fighting. I recruited you as an officer."_

_Damon's eyes shot open. His mouth opened to speak but no words came out._

"_I understand this is difficult, but you must-"_

"_Father, how could you?" Damon shouted, standing up and pacing._

"_I did it for you and for our country." Giuseppe didn't even flinch at Damon's outburst._

"_Every soldier that goes to fight never comes back! My friend Jack went to war and now his body is rotting somewhere in some God damn field!" Damon shouted. He couldn't believe his own father had signed his death sentence for him._

"_Son, this is an honor for you and for your family's name," Giuseppe continued with an edge to his voice now._

_Damon snapped his head to him, his e. For the past few years he and his father had never once agreed on anything. Of course he expected it, but this….this was too much._

"_You have signed my death sentence Giuseppe. But I'm sure that's what you wanted all along, isn't it? For your disgrace of flesh and blood to die. I am your shame, so you decided to get rid of me!"_

"_Son, I think you're blowing this way out of proportion. It is your duty as a young man to fight for what you believe in and this is it," his father said, standing up and facing him._

"_I don't even believe in this filthy war! Slavery? I don't want it but it has nothing to do with me."_

_Damon stormed over to the door before turning to his father once again._

"_Alright…you got your wish. I'll leave first thing tomorrow. Just don't expect me home ever again." And with that he stormed to his room and threw himself on his bed._

Later…

_Damon was just heading out to the stables to get his horse ready for a ride. He was just dismounting the saddle from the wall when he heard a giggle outside._

_Curious since there were no women on the Salvatore estate except the maids, he poked his head out to see what all the commotion was about._

_The sight took his breath away._

_Running around and giggling was the most beautiful woman Damon had ever laid eyes on! Her hair was thick, brown and her curls bounced around her oval face as she ran. Her smile seemed to light up the woods surrounding her and her dress flowed behind her. She looked so carefree, so light…_

_Damon continued to stare in fascination before she turned around and looked right at him. Damon immediately blushed at having been caught. _

_The girl walked, no sauntered, up to him and smiled._

"_Hello," she purred, smiling at him, her brown doe eyes brightened as she reached him._

_Suddenly remembering his manners, he bowed before her, taking her white gloved hand and kissing it._

"_Hello miss. I apologize for my rude staring earlier. I've never seen you here before is all."_

"_No apologies necessary. Exactly who are you Mr…"_

_Damon smiled at her, feeling a sense of giddiness erupt in him. Never had he felt this happy, so carefree, so…free. Damn, this girl brought out feelings in him he hadn't felt since his mother died._

"_I'm Damon Salvatore. My father owns this plantation; I'm his son. And who may I ask are you?"_

_The girl smiled at him, waves of mischief coming right off her._

"_My name is Katherine. I'm now living here as well. My parents died in a fire, leaving me orphaned. Your father was kind enough to take me in. He didn't tell me he had two sons. I've already met Stefan."_

"_He's my brother. I'm sorry, my father never mentioned me to you?" Damon asked her, trying to hide his hurt. It was one thing for Giuseppe to ignore him completely, but to pretend he wasn't even there was a whole new low for him._

"_No. But I am glad that I met you. Maybe I'll see you around again soon," she winked at him before turning and running back to the house, leaving Damon standing there speechless…and totally in love with this strange girl._

Elena was still processing this as she felt the blackness again then she was in what looked like Damon's bedroom.

_Damon was sleeping soundly when he was broken out of his sleep by the feel of someone sitting on his bed. Jerking awake, he immediately got ready for a fight but was surprised it was the beautiful girl he had met earlier._

"_Katherine? What are you doing here?" he gasped in surprise, but he felt no guilt. He was actually glad she was there._

_Katherine simply smiled at him and without warning, she kissed him._

_Damon was shocked before he simply closed his eyes and let himself enjoy it. He knew he didn't even know this girl very well, but this felt…right._

_Grabbing her, he flipped them over so that he was on top. It didn't take either of them long to remove their clothing amidst their heaving kissing._

_The blankets around his waist, Damon thrust into her with passion, making her wail in delight. He groaned, trying to keep his lust at a reasonable bay but it was a losing battle non-the-less. Katherine wrapped her legs tighter around his waist, making him go in deeper. _

_She screamed as her orgasm hit her, making him follow. Afterwards, he lay spent on his sheets, grinning like an idiot. He felt her move on his side and look at him._

_He smiled at her. "Thank you, miss Katherine."_

"_No need to thank me Damon. I'll take my payment now."_

_Giving her a puzzled look, he didn't know what she meant. Then her eyes turned a demon shade of red and her teeth seemed to get longer in the blink of an eye. Even in the darkness Damon could see it. Before he could start to panic, he felt her fangs puncture his throat. Closing his eyes, everything…went…black…_

Elena woke up with a gasp, startled at what she had seen. Ashley sat in a chair next to the bed, watching her.

"So…what did you think?" she asked her as if they were doing some weird movie review.

Elena sat up in the bed, still processing.

"It's strange to see a woman who looks like me actually being with Damon in, well, _that way," _she explained. She was trying to get the images of Damon thrusting into her vampire doppelganger self as well as the image of her sinking her teeth into him.

"I can only imagine. One thing you must remember Elena is that Katherine used and abused Damon. But you are not Katherine, do you understand me?" Ashley said in a fierce tone that made Elena look up at her.

"Katherine hurt Damon, but you haven't done that. You understand him better than anyone ever has. And that is something that no one, I repeat, No One has ever done in his lifetime. Do you want me to continue?"

Elena nodded, still absorbing what the elder vampire was saying. She wasn't Katherine and never would be. Then blackness once again….


	6. Chapter 6

_**Well, here's chapter 6. Enjoy and as always, review!**_

_**I'll be updating Love in the Shrew then Every Rose has it's Thorn. I'm also working on the next chapter for Killer's Insight. Keep a lookout for those as well : )**_

**Chapter 6—The War**

_Damon was standing in front of the Salvatore house in front of his family. His carriage had arrived that would take him to the army camp on the outskirts of Virginia. He was dressed in his Confederate soldier uniform and hat, ready to depart for an unknown period of time._

_Of course his father couldn't be bothered to show up, which didn't really surprise him._

_Stefan walked up to him and hugged him._

"_You be safe brother, you hear me?" Stefan whispered to him._

"_I will. You take care of the place; make sure dad doesn't burn it down ok?" Damon smiled at his younger brother—he loved him very much despite the different relationships they had with their father._

_Then he turned to look at Katherine. She smiled encouragingly at him before he walked over to her and wrapped his muscular arms around her. _

_He remembered her that night. He remembered what she did to him and what happened this morning proved his loyalty to her. In the morning, he touched his neck and found two puncture marks on his neck. Looking to the other side of his bed, he saw her resting peacefully, her dark curls surrounding her face, fanning it, making her look like an angel._

_And he wasn't scared._

_He accepted the fact that she was of the undead. And he didn't care—he realized that he loved her very much. She had opened up feelings in him he thought long gone since his mother died. She made him feel alive, feel free! He knew that when he returned from the war, he would marry her…if she wanted to. He would follow her to the ends of the earth and back. _

_Her vampire nature only fueled his desire for her. If she turned him, they could be together forever, always. Nothing would stand in their way. _

"_I will come back to you Kat, I promise you," he whispered into her neck. _

_When they parted, she gave him a kiss on the cheek, but he knew what that meant. She would wait for him, he was sure of it._

_After a few final goodbyes, he got into the carriage and was carried off for who knew how long, unsure if he would be back…_

…

_**Battlefield**_

"_God damn it Salvatore! Get over there and start shooting!"_

_The general's voice commanded Damon as he rolled on the battlefield. Gunshots were heard miles around them, fire exploded in the air, cannonballs shot back and forth between soldiers of all ranks on the open field. Soldiers were running everywhere and being blown apart right before Damon's eyes._

_His eyes were frozen in fear as he witnessed everything that was going on around him. His fellow comrades, whom he had befriended, were all over the field, screaming in agony over their bleeding wounds…_

_No amount of training or anything could have prepared Damon for this sight…Horror was firmly on his face as he heard his commanding officer shouting orders at him amongst the cannon shots._

…

_**Later**_

_The gag in Damon's mouth stifled the screams he was emitting as he was whipped in front of the whole army camp. A punishment for letting his fellow comrades die in battle even though there was nothing he could have done to prevent that from happening._

_He had been to visit the infirmary to see if anybody survived—the sight was unexpected. He saw men with their limbs cut off, bleeding on the ground and making the grass a never-ending sea of red. He saw men screaming while dying and some shaking uncontrollably, the only way to let out their agony. He, like the rest of them, just wanted it all to end._

_And here he was being whipped in front of everybody. He heard gasps from the other men as his hands dripped blood from the rope used to tie him up against a tree. His back was on fire as the ten lashings were delivered on him._

"_Now do all of you see what happens if anybody else fails their teammates? Salvatore here is a poor excuse of a man, DO NOT follow in his steps."_

_Damon was not going to cry…he refused to cry. He hadn't since his mother died and he sure as hell wasn't going to start now._

_But the horrors of what he had just witnessed combined with his current predicament, as well as missing his Katherine all caught up to him. When he was finally lowered back to the ground, a few tears escaped his eyes._

…

Elena jerked awake as she was brought back to the present. Ashley was sitting next to her, watching her intently.

"You okay Elena? You're shaking a bit."

"Fine just….wow. That was Damon in the army?" She couldn't believe all that he had been through. She knew he was a confederate soldier, but this? What was really killing her was that she never asked him about it at all. And she was given the impression that no one else had asked him about it back then either.

"Alright, a few more for the day then we'll stop for the night," Ashley continued. Elena lay back on the bed and waited for the never-ending darkness to take her again.

…..

Damon stared into the fireplace at the boarding house, once again nursing a drink. He had looked everywhere for Elena and still no one had seen her for the last few days. His worry for her knew no bounds. What made it worse was that he didn't even know where to start looking.

Suddenly his shoulder started hurting. When his hand reached up to touch it, he suddenly remembered being shot there. An image flashed in his mind as he remembered being on the battlefield, seeing his friends being blown to bits and men screaming in agony.

Why was he suddenly remembering all of this? It didn't make any sense…


	7. Chapter 7

_**Sorry once again. I know lots of people want me to update this story more often and I am—I have the next chapter already planned and I promise I'll be updating this one sooner. I saw the 1912 episode so I'm ready. It was awesome!**_

_**I will be updating Safe until Then next then Haven in Your Arms next. **_

_**Enjoy this update and review : )**_

**Chapter 7—Back from the War**

_Damon smiled as he saw his home again. It had been over 6 months since he had been here. He couldn't wait to see his brother again. And Katherine. God he had missed her! He had missed holding her, kissing her, making love to her, he couldn't wait to have her in his arms again._

_Making his way to the gardens, he took a moment to sit down on one of the statues to just enjoy being home again. He knew his father would be furious with him for leaving the confederacy without being dismissed, but if he was honest with himself, he couldn't care less. His father no longer had a hold over his life, not anymore. He couldn't stand to be in that atmosphere anymore—being humiliated by being whipped made him decide this was a huge mistake. He never should have taken his father's advice about joining the Confederacy. Who was he kidding—he had been forced into it. That's why he didn't feel any guilt about just leaving. He had nothing and no one there for him._

_Just then, he heard the sound of giggling. He would recognize that beautiful sound anywhere. Katherine was running through the maze of hedges followed by Stefan who was chasing her. They didn't see him at first._

_Katherine stopped at a statue, smiling and giggling at Stefan. "I win, what's my prize?"_

"_What would you like it to be?" Damon smirked himself. The two of them turned to look at him._

"_They extended your leave?" Stefan asked, surprised at Damon's presence._

"_I was simply having too much fun to return to battle," Damon lied through his smile. No, he simply didn't want to be tortured again. That's why he left. He couldn't stand to be in the war any longer. _

_Stefan just laughed. "Your dedication to the confederacy is inspiring." Embracing his brother, Damon felt more at peace in that moment than he ever had in his life. He couldn't deny that he had missed his brother like crazy!_

"_Well this works out perfectly for me." The brothers turned to Katherine, who was smirking. _

"_Why is that Miss Katherine?" he flirted with his eyes. _

"_Now I'll have both of you here to keep me entertained. First I need someone to escort me to the Founder's Ball." She turned away from them, hands behind her back._

"_With pleasure." "I'd be honored." Two responses, both brothers were bowing to her. Damon looked up at his younger brother. Why in the world was he offering? He knew Katherine was his right?_

"_Both brothers coming to my rescue. How will I ever choose?" she smirked at both of them before skipping her way back to the mansion._

…_.._

_That night, Damon snuck out of his room to visit Katherine in hers. He had waited 6 whole months to be with her and he didn't want to wait any longer._

_Boy, his father had really let him have it when he came into their mansion. He had never had his father shout at him as much as he had earlier, but Damon tuned it out. He had many years of experience and nothing he could say would change his father's mind about neither him nor the way they felt about each other. _

_Knocking softly, he was about to reach for the doorknob when he heard shuffling from inside. Then he heard moaning—female moaning._

"_Ohhhh Stefan…God, do that again!...feels so good…" _

_He stopped dead in his tracks. Katherine was in bed with….his brother? Shock ran through his blood like a cold river._

_He didn't even feel himself step back and leave. The only sound he heard was his own heart breaking into a million pieces…._

_Why would Katherine do this to him? And with his brother, whom he adored? Why? Was he not enough for her?_

…_._

_Over the next few days, Damon had gone from anger to denial. He was sure Katherine didn't mean anything to his brother. She just needed someone there during her lonely nights waiting for him to come home. Being with his brother probably meant nothing to her. God he hoped so!_

_At least that's what he kept telling himself. She wouldn't deny his love for her, would she?_

_It was the night of the Founder's Ball. Katherine hadn't asked him to escort her like he expected—she had asked his brother. He watched as they twirled around the ballroom, making his heart sink even lower. He had waited for months to be with her and here she was spending all her time with his brother. It wasn't fair! Seeing her in another man's arms was driving him crazy!_

_Later, he could at least pretend that he wasn't affected by Katherine and his brother and proposed a toast. By now everyone in town knew of his actions and "disgrace" from his abandonment, thanks to his father telling it to everyone._

"_Everyone will you please join me in raising our glasses to my dear friend, George Lockwood" Hmph, friend my ass. We've always hated each other's guts—"George, thank you for so bravely defending the south." He lifted his own glass as George gave him a smug smile._

"_My pleasure Mr. Salvatore. After all, someone had to do it." There was a jab at Damon in that remark, but he smiled despite his hatred of the Lockwoods._

_A few moments later he was surprised when he saw Katherine saunter towards him. Without warning she kissed him right on the lips. When she pulled back, Damon couldn't stop the grin from coming onto his face._

"_I thought you needed a proper greeting since your return," she smirked at him._

"_That was a very nice welcome, Miss Katherine," he smiled back._

"_Hmmmmm…so how about you meet me in my room later on tonight? I'll give you a nice, proper welcoming. What do you say? Around midnight?" Her doe eyes sparkled with mischief._

_Feeling his pants growing with his arousal, he smirked back. "I'll be there waiting for you."_

…_._

_He had snuck into Katherine's bedroom unseen. He would wait to have his night with her, one that he had been longing for since his days in the army. All he wanted to feel was her love for him and thankfulness that he was home safe and unharmed. Well, almost unharmed save for the bullet wound he still had.. He waited patiently on one of the armchairs in her darkened room._

_He heard voices as they made their way up the stairs. He knew his brother too well—he had escorted Katherine to her room. _

_He heard every word that was spoken. How his brother thought she was a precious angel, how delicate she was, how much he loved her. No way Stefan-she was a powerful vampire goddess who needed a vampire mate and god to rule beside her. If he convinced her to turn him, then they could be together forever. There would be no stopping them…_

_He watched the door open and Katherine walk in, looking a little dazed. Sneaking up behind her he twisted her around and pushed her against the door, brushing his lips against hers. Surprisingly she pushed him back._

"_What are you doing here?" she asked, sounding irritated. He was surprised. She was the one that invited him up here earlier now she was denying him?_

"_I told you I would come."_

"_Well I'm tired. You should go," she turned facing him, showing no expression. How strange, she wasn't even happy to see him._

"_Did my little brother's confession overwhelm you?" he kissed her hand, trying to assure her that her man was here and not his idiot younger brother._

_She ripped her hand away. "You shouldn't eavesdrop." _

_She was giving him the cold shoulder. She sounded happy to be able to spend time with him earlier, why was she rejecting him now?_

"_Is my love not enough?" he asked, a little hurt. Would he be enough for her? Would his love ever be enough for anyone?_

_That was his last thought before he felt himself being pulled toward the door, saying goodnight to his love then leaving. But the nagging feeling in his heart continued. And he had a feeling of dread that came over his mind. This was just the beginning of drama to come…_

Elena felt herself be ripped back to the present. She was laying down sweating on the bed in her little temporary room. Ashley sat in a chair beside her, almost equally exhausted, waving a hand in front of her face. These memories were taking a lot out of both of them.

"That's enough for another day. Tomorrow we get to the big memories—Damon turning into a vampire and the brother's hatred continues. That in itself will take a long time. How about some rest now okay?" Ashley suggested before heading out of the room.

Elena could only nod before sleep overtook her. The images of Damon's hurt face haunted her as she drifted off into an uneasy sleep.

…..

Ashley heard the cellphone going off on the counter. She knew who it would be.

"Hello?" she answered sweetly.

"Who the hell is this?" a gruff male voice asked.

"Damon love, how are you feeling today? Not eating out all the women in town are you? And yes, the pun is intended for both ways."

"What the—who the hell is this? Where is Elena? If you've harmed her, I swear to God-"

"Easy there tiger, Elena's just fine. I'm going to be keeping her for the next few days. But not to worry, I'm taking good care of her. You just stay right there in the boarding house drinking yourself into a stupor like you usually do, alright?" Ashley smirked into the phone.

"I don't know who the hell you are, but you'd better explain to me why you have Elena with you!" She knew he was pissed at this point. Ah well, no point in denying it now.

"I'm explaining to her why you are the way you are. Why you can go from hot to cold in less than 5 seconds, why you drink all the time, why you're damaged, etc. The whole works. Just sit tight and within the next few days, Elena will be all yours," Ashley smiled when she heard his sharp intake of breath before she hung up.

That was Ashley's main goal. If she explained to Elena what Damon has been put through all his life, maybe she herself would change her mind about him and maybe make Damon her top priority—she would ultimately choose Damon as the one she wants to be with for the rest of her existence.

After all, Damon deserved happiness after almost 176 years of despair and loneliness.


End file.
